Texas Secessionists Win GOP Backing for Independence Vote: 'Major Step'

[Polds4OSU]

The Republican Party of Texas is calling for a referendum on whether the state "should reassert its status as an independent nation" as a "legislative priority" in the next session of the Texas legislature.

The call was included in the party's 2024 Legislative Priorities and Platform document which was released on June 7, after its component parts were voted on by Texas Republicans at the party's convention in San Antonio, which took place between May 23 and 25.


Texan nationalists have long been pushing for a vote on whether the Lone Star State should secede from the United States and become a fully independent country, as it was between 1837 and 1845. Their cause has been helped by a surge in tensions between Texan authorities and the federal government over the past few months, particularly over illegal migration and education.

Plank 203 of the Texas GOP's official legislative platform, under the title of "Texas Independence," states: "The Texas Legislature should pass a bill in its next session requiring a referendum in the next General Election for the people of Texas to determine whether or not the State of Texas should reassert its status as an independent nation. This referendum should be a legislative priority."

Separately under the "state sovereignty," section Plank 20 called for "federally mandated legislation that infringes upon the 10th Amendment rights of Texas shall be ignored, opposed, refused, and nullified" adding: "Texas retains the right to secede from the United States."


On its official website the Texas Nationalist Movement (TNM), which campaigns for the state to leave the Union in a move it dubs TEXIT, said: "The inclusion of these planks in the Republican Party of Texas Platform is a major step that could have far-reaching implications for the TEXIT movement in the next legislative session."

The group argued that including a referendum call in the Texas GOP's legislative platform means "there is likely to be increased support from legislators who may have been previously hesitant" and also said it would "likely mobilize voters who support TEXIT."

Newsweek contacted Texas Governor Greg Abbott for comment on Wednesday by email outside of usual business hours.

The Republican Party of Texas first backed calls for an independence referendum as part of its legislative platform in 2022, after it was approved by members at its convention that year in Houston.


In 2023 then Republican Texas State Representative Bryan Slaton introduced legislation calling for a referendum on whether the state "should reassert its status as an independent nation," though this failed to get out of the State Affairs committee.

Texas nationalists scored another win at the San Antonio convention when Abraham George and D'Rinda Randall were elected to serve as the chair and vice-chair of the Texas GOP respectively. Both George and Randall had previously signed up to the TNM's 'Texas First' pledge, committing them to supporting a referendum on Texan independence.

A poll of 814 eligible voters in Texas conducted for Newsweek in February found 23 percent would back the state becoming "an independent country" in a hypothetical independence referendum, whilst 67 percent would vote for Texas to remain "a state within the United States."


Tensions have increased sharply between Texan and federal authorities over a number of issues since the start of this year. In January the Supreme Court ruled razor wire placed along the Texas-Mexico border on the orders of Governor Abbott could be removed by federal agents.

Then in May, Governor Abbott instructed universities and community colleges in his state to ignore an update to Title IX equality legislation introduced by the Biden administration

 

[Polds4OSU]

Texas Secessionists Working With Five Other States, Leader Says​

Texan nationalists are coordinating with secessionist campaigners from five other states, who are also interested in breaking away from the United States, according to one of their leaders.

The claim was made by Daniel Miller, president of the pro-independence Texas Nationalist Movement (TNM), on the latest edition of his Late Night Coffee Talk online show that was broadcast on Facebook on June 19.


The past few months have seen a surge in activity from Texas independence campaigners, coinciding with heightened tensions between local authorities and the Biden administration over issues including illegal immigration and education. The Republican Party of Texas included support for an independence referendum in its 2024 Legislative Priorities and Platform document, which was released in June after this was approved by its convention in San Antonio the previous month. At the convention supporters of an independence referendum were also elected as the party's chair and vice-chair.

Texas Independence Referendum Moves One Step Closer
On Wednesday Miller was asked whether he supports other groups or states seceding from the U.S., to which he replied: "100 percent, but it's not that I support their seceding, it's that I support their right to have the discussion and have the vote and if that's what they want to do as a people then do so."



Miller went on to claim the TNM has "interface" with independence movements in California, New Hampshire, Alaska, Florida and Louisiana.

He said: "What we do is we work and communicate with independence movements. I mentioned several: Calexit, New Hampshire exit, the people in Florida which is going to be called Flexit I bet, Free Louisiana people, the Alaskan Independence Party."

"Calexit" is supported by the "Yes California" movement, which was initially founded in 2015 to campaign for greater autonomy for the Golden State but later advocated full independence. It's most recent plan calls for a new country called "Pacifica" to be formed "in the San Francisco Bay area and along the central California coast," while the rest of the state would remain in the U.S.

The Alaskan Independence Party was founded in 1984 to campaign for the state to leave the U.S. and become an independent nation.


Some conservatives and libertarians in New Hampshire are also pushing for the state to leave the U.S. Earlier this year Republican state Representative Jason Gerhard introduced legislation that would require New Hampshire to declare independence if the national debt surpasses $40 trillion, around $6 trillion higher than it currently is, though this was not passed into law.

The Florida and Louisiana secessionist movements Miller referenced are apparently much newer and Newsweek could find little information about either online. A YouGov survey published earlier this year found 24 percent of people in Florida, and 23 percent in Louisiana, would support their state leaving the U.S. and becoming a fully independent country.

Miller emphasized that while the TNM was ready to offer advice to other independence movements, and had held meetings with Alaskan and Californian separatists, the decision over whether any state should leave the Union would have to be made by its citizens.


He said: "We can help them and help their leadership rationalize what that looks like and how to debate the issue and how to organize but ultimately that is a decision they've got to make. We don't want to interfere with what they're doing. We want to encourage them, help them when we can, but ultimately it's about helping them organize and ask the question in the right way so their people can vote."

The activist added: "The same question that we ask Texans is the same question that people in those other states should be asking their citizens and it's this. 'If your state was currently an independent nation and had control over its immigration and border policy, its own currency and taxation policy, its own military and everything that nation states around the world have and you were being asked to vote to join the Union knowing everything you know about the federal government would you vote to join?'"


A survey conducted for Newsweek earlier this year found 23 percent of Texans want the state to become "an independent country," against 67 percent who support it remaining "a state within the United States." The remaining 10 percent answered "don't know."

 

[UrbanCowboy]

Texas succeeds citing too much immigration from Mexico as one of the reasons.
US blockades gulf of Mexico, meaning Texas is completely cut off from trade.
Texas open borders with Mexico to gain access to shipping lanes.

It's beautiful.

I don't want this to go through, but if it does, the above scenario is classic shooting yourself in the foot.

 

[milehighpoke]

I really, REALLY, hope it actually happens. If it does, I'd give it about 5 years until Texas comes crawling back or tries to invade the USA. Cut off from trade routes, bordering 2 countries they are actively hostile towards, relying on an already failing power grid, and no longer receiving the sweet sweet welfare money from California and New York. What could possibly go wrong??

 

[PF5]

 

[mugatu]

View attachment 5328

Sometimes I wonder if my hatred of Texas is mostly related to being from Oklahoma. Then crap like this comes out and confirms it... it's because as a state they are total pieces of poop.